


Us kids

by risinggreatness



Series: Circle 'round the sun [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-15
Updated: 2014-09-15
Packaged: 2018-02-17 13:52:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2311913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/risinggreatness/pseuds/risinggreatness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anakin is assigned a new padawan</p>
            </blockquote>





	Us kids

Anakin is sure his jaw hit the chamber floor.

A padawan? Assigned to _him_?

He only just returned to Coruscant, he is tired. He is looking forward to a night passed out on Padmé’s bed… or doing other things. He isn’t particular.

But a padawan? He swears he’s only just finished that stage of his own training. There is no way he’s ready.

All eyes are on him and he does his best to contain his bewilderment. It is inevitable; strapped down like a glorified minder while there is work to be done.

“Awaits you, your padawan does. Teach them, you will.”

He takes a deep breath, “Thank you for the honor, Masters. I will do my best to pass on what I have learned.” He wants out of this meeting. Badly. He feels oddly defensive, but doesn’t voice his concerns.

Of course he has learned a great deal, just not as much the men and women who sit before him wish. He bows before he leaves; they respond with deferential nods.

Obi-Wan stands outside the chamber. Anakin is pretty sure he’s smirking behind his fist, but it’s hard to tell with the new beard; the one he grew to look more somber. What a stupid beard.

Anakin scowls. “You put the Council up to this, didn’t you?”

“Well, I didn’t discourage them. You could use more responsibility and it is a critical step to becoming a master. The Republic would like it if you were less reckless with their army. The Council knows you wouldn’t dare being irresponsible with a padawan in tow. I think you’ll like who you’ve been assigned – she’s been written up several times.”

Anakin cannot help but smile at this. He mercifully avoided official disciplinary action, although more than once Obi-Wan wished otherwise.

Despite his reservations, he knows Obi-Wan has his best interest at heart. He wouldn’t give him a mission he couldn’t complete. Obi-Wan has gone out of his way to give Anakin tasks on the battlefield that others wouldn’t dare entrust to a padawan.

They trust each other and that’s all that matters in the end.

Anakin affects a dramatic sigh and can _hear_ Obi-Wan roll his eyes. “Let’s go meet my padawan, then. Wouldn’t want her mouthing off on the first day, would we?”

The doors to the retaining room slide open. A young togrutan stands in the center of the room: wide-eyed, eager, and something else. Anakin feels a pang of recognition. “She’s just as nervous as I am.”

“Anakin Skywalker, may I present Ahsoka Tano?”

“I am honored to be assigned to you, Master.”

“Likewise, padawan.” He feels stiff and awkward. Why does being presented to a child terrify him far more than facing an army of thousands or a Sith?

Seconds pass. Ahsoka bites her lip. Anakin is rooted to the spot. Obi-Wan’s eyes shoot back and forth between the two silent figures before him.

Obi-Wan steps in, wanting to diffuse the uncomfortable mood hanging over the room, “Will you two continue to be uncharacteristically speechless or would you like me to tell you both all about the importance of communication between–”

“NO!”

Obi-Wan jumps, startled. Anakin didn’t realize he yelled that loudly. Ahsoka looks between the two of them and then giggles. Anakin glances at her and the tension that built up between his shoulders eases. Anakin chuckles as well, putting his head in his hand. Gods, he is being such an idiot.

“Sorry about that,” he mumbles.

Obi-Wan, recovered from the outburst, makes his way for the door to leave.

“Beware, Padawan Tano. Master Skywalker often makes loud noises when confronted with the prospect of long-winded speeches. Be careful not lecture him – you might just find yourself in trouble. I’ll leave you two alone.” Smooth recovery, Kenobi.

The door’s barely slide shut and Ahsoka blurts out, “Is it true you lost your hand fighting Count Dooku?!”

Anakin eases into one of the seats, but her question alarms him. The robotic hand flexes almost involuntarily. He’s sure he’ll never get used to not feeling that hand.

“Er, yes. An unfortunate moment where I failed to listen to Obi-Wan…” he trails before adding, in a dismal attempt to sound firm, “which is why you should listen to everything your master says.”

He flounders a bit and words come out of his mouth that shouldn’t, at least not to his new apprentice. She’s plopped down on the lounger opposite him.

“An inability to follow orders isn’t my only fault. The Council thinks I’m too prideful. And that I shouldn’t rely on anger.”

Mercifully, Ahsoka pipes up. “I’ve got faults too! Sometimes I ask too many questions.”

“Like how people lost their limbs?” Anakin says dryly.

“Yeah… Master Drallig wrote me up a couple times,” she offers helpfully.

“Call him ‘the Troll’ to his face?”

Ahsoka snorts and Anakin breaks out into a grin. He likes her.

“Like nicknames, do you? Duly noted,” Anakin thinks to himself.

“What else did you do to incur the displeasure of the Tr – Master Dralling?”

“Improper lightsaber use.”

Anakin chokes back a laugh.

Completely in earnest, she protests, “Master Drallig says I shouldn’t use the reverse grip, but it just feels easier!”

“Well if Master Drallig says you shouldn’t, then I’ll definitely have to break you of the habit.”

Her face goes serious. “I get angry too.”

The empathy he felt earlier flares up in his chest. They are both somber, but there is understanding. He leans forward, elbows on legs, at her eye-level. “You know it’s okay to be angry sometimes. The Council isn’t wrong; letting it control you is bad. But it reminds you that you feel, little one. That you care.”

The nerves from earlier are gone. Anakin thinks for the first time all evening that he might just be able to do this. They will be able to do this.

She hazards a change in conversation. “Are we going to go to the front a lot? Are you going to fight Count Dooku again?”

His teasing tone returns. “I don’t know; are you going to keep asking questions?”

“Probably!”

It hits him how truly exhausted he is and how tempting sleeping sounds. “It’s getting pretty late, young one. Isn’t it time you head back to your barracks?”

“If it’s that late, you should too! And hey, you’re not that much older than me!”

Anakin laughs at her indignation, stands, and puts on his best general voice, and says “I’ll see you in the morning, Padawan Tano!”

She snaps to attention in the same mock seriousness, grinning, “Yes, sir!” She heads for the door; turning to smile back at him before exiting.

Anakin slumps back down in the chair. Forget it. He’s sleeping forever and will not get up until Padmé snatches all the blankets, tells him he’s terribly lazy. When he doesn’t budge, she’ll attack him until they’re an inseparable tangle of limbs; laughing and incandescently happy.

Padmé.

She will not believe they’re letting him teach.

**Author's Note:**

> See author bio for discussion on this 'verse.


End file.
